Special Pinch Runner rule LL Majors BB

Any player, currently not in the line up, can be utilized as a special pinch runner.

You can use a special pinch runner only once per inning.

A player can only be run for once in a game.

"Currently not in the lineup" is huge. It is why proper procedure must be followed when making offensive substitutions.

Your team is now on offense.

Andy, Billy, and Connor are in the lineup and the next three up.

You want to sub in Xavier, Yuri, and Zeke for these 3 players above.

Xavier gets on base and now you want to use Connor as a special pinch runner.

You can't. Why? Because until Connor's spot in the order is due up, you can not substitute Zeke for Connor.

81 months ago

The other I have experienced quite often with this has to do with a player who is not in the line up but WAS in the line up. Some people think that this player can not be used as a special pinch runner. However, the rule specifies "currently". Therefore, any player currently not in the line up can be used as a special pinch runner regardless if he/she has been in the game prior.

81 months ago

If you are using "Continuous Batting Order", you can not use a Special Pinch Runner, as all the players are "currently" in the line up.

81 months ago

Good catch John. I wasn't even thinking that.

Love this board!

81 months ago

We do not use continuous in our Major division. I knew the rule and I appreciate the explanation and examples too, just needed to find it in the rule book. Thanks to both of you

81 months ago

When the rule was first implemented it did sopecifiy that it had to be a player who had not yet been in the game. It was changed to "currently" later on. The proviso that a player could only be run for once was also added later.

81 months ago

@Dave

Thanks for the example - is there a rule that specifically says that substitutions MUST be made when the batter comes up to bat and not earlier? Basically, is there a rule that syas I CAN'T sub in Xavier, Yuri, and Zeke at the beginning of my offensive bat.

This happened to me and the ump let me do it. In the situation you described the player prior to Xavier got hit in the foot during his at bat. Nothing serious and I didn't want to pull him, but if I used Zeke or Yuri as my pinch runner I would not have been able to sub them in and they may not have gotten their mandatory play time. So I made all three subs at once and then used Connor as the pinch runner. I wasn't trying to "play" with the rules - just wanted to make sure I could get all of my subs in.

81 months ago

@Jeff The rule you are looking for is: 3.03 6. Defensive substitutions must be made while the team is on defense. Offensive substitutions must be made at the time the offensive player has her/his turn at bat or is on base.

You could have used the player that Xavier replaced as the Special Pinch Runner, once Xavier was entered as the new batter, but before he received his first pitch.

81 months ago

Mark nailed it. I believe the need for the 3.03(6) was necessary because it was becoming acceptable for a manager in between innings to announce 3 offensive subsitutitions at the same time. This was creating issues with 7.14 among other things.

If you think 3.03(6) through, you can see how it is logical and necessary.

81 months ago

I really love this board and learning new things I should have known. Makes me realize I need to read the rule book better when it comes out or ask questions. How long has 3.03 (6) been in use?

81 months ago

Tom... 3.03 (6) went in about seven years ago. Without ratting out the regional staffer who did this to me, we had gone back and forth on the announcement of subs all year long. They didn't want you to do it, but there was no rule to preclude it. Andy and I had discussed it more than once before and during the season because it was about the same time that SPR had expanded. (That rule actually went to can run for a person unlimited times, just had to be someone not in the lineup and could only be invoked once per inning. It has since been retracted somewhat.)

So... as I am working a tournament game, coach tries to announce a future pinch-hitter and then use that removed kid to SPR. As the other coach is about to question it, I said... "we're going to make a phone call so we know exactly where we stand." Coaches agreed that was best to do because we had talked about it in our rules meeting a week earlier.

To this day, I can quote the regional staffer word for word... "Well, it's legal, but tell them not to do it anymore." I hung up, shook my head laughing and said "well, he can do it, and that's all I'll say right now about that call."

3.03 (6) was put in the book the following year.

81 months ago

I think I can guess who that sounds like :)

81 months ago

OK, here I go getting in trouble again - LL should "do away" with the SPR Rule!!!

Running the bases is as much a part of the game as hitting, fielding, throwing, etc ...

When I really hate this rule is I see "Little Johnny" finally get his first base hit.

Then, bam, out of the game for a SPR (and don't say it doesn't happen).

81 months ago

I totally agree with Louis,,,

81 months ago

LL sees it as getting kids involved more often. That's why it went so wide and then got reeled back in from what was craziness.

81 months ago

Mike - but it doesn't get kids involved more often, it takes play time away from one kid and gives it to another. Why, because the other player can run faster. Do you see fast runners taken our for slow runners, of course not.

Again, I'm probably in the minority but I think this is a dumb rule and it should be done away with.

81 months ago

Louis... I wasn't taking a position, just telling you what I have been told about the way the folks on The Hill feel.

81 months ago

Mike - no problem.

As I said, I know I'm probably in the minority and I know LL feels differently than I do.

I've had a number of conversations with several people in Williamsport on this so I know their position and I follow the rule but that doesn't mean I have to like it !!!

81 months ago

I like the SPR rule, keeps the kids on the bench in the game, they don't know when they may be called to run. I typically only run for my catcher, to help speed the game along. I also might run for a kid who will be the new reliever next inning, to allow him time in the bull pen....

45 months ago

Maybe someone on here can help me with this question. During a minor league game one team was losing and had runners on 1st and 2nd. The kid at first just walked and the team had no subs on the bench because they only had nine players. The coach brought in a kid who had just scored as a pinch runner to be the tying run. Is this legal?

45 months ago

Maybe someone on here can help me with this question. During a minor league game one team was losing and had runners on 1st and 2nd. The kid at first just walked and the team had no subs on the bench because they only had nine players. The coach brought in a kid who had just scored as a pinch runner to be the tying run. Is this legal?

45 months ago

Chris Pack, no it is not. If there are only 9 players there can be no substitutes. Even if more than 9, the SPR cannot be used in Minors, because the Continuous Batting order is mandatory in minors- so there are no available players that are not in the lineup.

Thanks for the help Dave Trop. It didn't seem correct to me, but since I am not the coach i did nto want to argue. It just didn't seem fair to the other team or the kid who had just got on base and didn't get to run because his coach deamed a win in the minors more important.

45 months ago

Thanks for the help Dave Trop. It didn't seem correct to me, but since I am not the coach i did nto want to argue. It just didn't seem fair to the other team or the kid who had just got on base and didn't get to run because his coach deamed a win in the minors more important.

34 months ago

Does LL rule differ from MLB rule that states the pinch runner gets credited for crossing home plate, not the player who actually got on base.

33 months ago

My son has sever's disease it a common issue in young male athletes that has to do with the tendons and growth plates in the heel his orthopedic dr told him he could hit and play first but to limit his running so once he hits and reaches base they put a runner in for him is there a rule that covers this issue